Draw-gear for railroad-cars



2 sheets-sheet' 1. y

(NQ Model.)

H. C. BUHOUB DRAW GRAR PoR RAILROAD GARS.

Patented MAR-'18, 1890.

No. 423,727.v

N. PETERS. mao-umagnpn", wma-151mb. u

(No Model.)-

H.G.VBU`H0UP.. DRAW GEAR POR RAILROAD CARS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Man 18, 1890.

*i UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

HARRY C. BUHOUP, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAW-G EAR Foa RAILROAD-CARS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. V423,727', dated March 18, 18'90.

Application filed July l, 1889.

Serial Nm3-16,201. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY C. BUHOUP, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stat-e of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Draft Devices for RailroadCars, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is mainly to provide a railway-car with a draft device which will take up or neutralize the strains and shocks with a smooth and easy action. To this end I attach my draft-head to the car in such manner-that it has a vertical as well as a longitudinal motion in relation to the car. I utilize both motions to compress the springs which resist the pulling and pushing strains. I also combine the parts in such manner as to develop a great amount of friction, which is utilized to assist the springs in resisting the movement of the draft-head.

I have represented in the 'accompanying drawings those constructions which I have found best adapted for general use; but it will be understood by the skilled mechanic after reading this specification that Vthe details of this construction may be greatly modified without changing, essentially, the Inodel of action or departing from the limits of my invention.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure Vl is a longitudinal vertical section through my draft devices applied to a car, the section being taken on theline .fr of Fig. 2.' Fig. 2- is a transverse section on the line y y' of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section 011 thev line .a z of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section showing the draft devices in modified form applied to a car. Fig. 5 is a verticalflcross-section on the line y y of Fig. 4. Fig. '6 is a cross-.section on lthe line e a of Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. l, 2, and 3, A represents the car-frame; B, a longitudinally and vertically movable box or casting suspended from the body by swinging links C C; D, a drawhead mounted in and movable with the box, and E E vertical springs seated upon the carframe and the box and acting by their downwardv pressure to resist any movement of the box and draw-head in relation to the frame.

It will be observed that the links C C are inclined in reverse directions and provided in their lower ends with longitudinal slots c to receive the transverse pivot-bolts c', by which they are connected to the box. This to rise when urged endwise in either direction from its normal position, the rising motion being, however, resisted by the springs, so that violent shocksare prevented and the motion taken up ,with an easy action. j

The springs-are seated in the box, so as to move th erewith, and are covered by cap-plates b, fitted to play vertically lin the box, but movable endwise therewithand arranged-to bear against t-he overlying friction-plates e, bolted to the under side of the car frame or sills.

endwise on the friction-plate whenever the box and the draw-head move, and as they are held by the springs in forcible contact jwith the plates, a great amount of friction is developed and applied to aid the springs in resisting and checking the end motion of Ythe box y and draw-head. Owing to this combined frictional Vand elastic resistance offered' to the movement of the draw-head, my draft devices those in general use.

As an additional means of reducing the Vshocks, the draw-head may be arranged to slide endwise within the box, a spring f being interposed, as shown, or a spring applied in any of the other methods in which they are commonly used between a draw-head and the support in which it slides. Vhile I have represented in the drawings metallic helical springs, it is manifest that they may be replaced by any equivalent springs known to the skilled mechanic-fsuch, for instance, as an elliptic metal spring,- a rubber spring, or a so-called pneumatic spring, in which air is tic medium.

When the draw-head is capable of end motion within the box, as shown, I provide it with a longitudinal slot f and pass a connectingfbolt fz transversely through the slot. This bolt, while allowing the motion of the parts in relation to each other, 'serves as a connection through which the draw-head may actif the ordinary connection at the rear is broken.

Passing now to the construction represented act gradually and with less violence than` arrangementcausesthe box and draw-head' As these capplates b are compelled to slide confined and compressed to serve as an'elasf IOO in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the parts therein shown are substantially the same in construction and arrangement as those in the iirst form of the apparatus, with the single exception that the links to sustain the box and draw-head are replaced by depending rigid plates g, containing V-shaped slots g', into which transverse bolts g2 on the box B are extended. When the box is in its normal or intermediate position, or, in other words, at its lowest point, the rods g2 rest in the lower middle portions of the slots. When, however, the box is urged endwise, the rods ride upward in one end or the other of the slots, thereby lifting the box and compressing the springs. The springs indirectly, as in the iirst case, resist the longitudinal movement of the drawhead and their capplates actwith frictional effect on the overlying plates of the frame.

The same letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

While the swinging links of Fig. I and the slotted plates-of ,Fig i answer all practical purposes, it is to be understood that I may employ in` their steadany'equivalent connections between the box and body which will cause the box tomove vertically as it moves end'- wise.

ment, provided only they'moveendwise with the box and draw-head and are acted upon by the springs, so that the greater the compression of the spring the. greater the frictional resistance oered to the fore-and-aft motion'of the draw-head.

It will be observed that the box Bherein described is but a support for the draw-head, which latter may be secured thereto in any appropriate manner, or, if desired in special cases, formed integral therewith. In short, it is to be understood that the draw-head and its connections to the car may be of any form which will admit of the draw-head rising and ,fallingiin relation to the car as it moves endwise. Y

While I prefer to employ the springs for the double purpose of resisting the motion of the draw-head and of operating the frictionplates, it is to be understood that I claim the employment-ofthe f riction-plates and springs acting thereon, and also the vertically-Inovable draw-head, separately considered, with springs acting to vresist the vertical motion, and this whether the same or separate springs are employedfor the two purposes.

One of the advantages of my verticallymovable draw-head lies in the fact that a cery vshift endwise.

It is also to be understood that the fricf tion-plates may be varied in form and arrangetain length of movement is necessary in order that springs of suiiicient strength may be gradually and practically compressed, so as to offer sufficient resistance to start or stop the cars. In ordinary draft devices the entire movement applied to compress the springsV occurs lengthwise of the car. The consequence isrthat the cars are widely separated in starting the train and permitted to 'approach each other corresponding distances as the train is brought to a rest. The result is very severe and trying shocks, which result not, only in breaking and impairing the draft devices, but also in racking and weakening the car frame and body, owing to the tendency of the superstructure and the load to Under my organization the longitudinal motion of the cars inrelation to each other is greatly reducedrwitiiout reducing o r impairing the motion ofl the springs. The shock and rebound are greatly lessened.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim is-.

l. In combination with a car, a draw-head movable endwise ofthe car, springs to resist y said end motion, and friction-slides actedlsupport with the car, the springs seated in the support, the cap-plates movable endwise with the support, and the fixed friction-plates against which the cap-plates slide.

5. In combination with the car, the drawhead support, connections causingsaid sup- 'vport to move vertically as it movesV endwise,

the vertical springs to resist the rising motion, the draw-head, and a spring to Vresist the end motion of the draw-head within its support.

In testimony lwhereof I hereunto set my hand, this 22d dayfofl May, 1889, in the presence of two attestingwitnesses.

HARRY C. BUHOUP. Witnesses:

PHIL. T.4 DODGE, W. R. KENNEDY.

IOO 

